"How did they figure it out?" Kim asked Pete, exasperated.

Pete shrugged. "They're not stupid people, and they can put two and two together. I don't want to hurt anyone here Kim, I think both of them are in this for the long haul. I'm not in love with Max, it's a crush that's all… If they're happy, why can't you just let them be?"
"Because it should be me," Kim lamented. "If Kenny loves her so much, why did it take them almost 10 years to get married?"

"I don't know. Relationships take time to build Kim, and that is what makes them strong. Two people just don't jump into marriage without knowing each other. Things happen for a reason, and I could tell by talking to Kenny that there was no way he letting anyone get in between them. God, she almost miscarried their baby… I don't want to be responsible for that."

"I think Kenny and I could have something special," Kim continued, ignoring him.

"He already does," Pete said truthfully. "Kim, drop it. You're a beautiful young woman, and you shouldn't be chasing after a married man who is ten years your senior."

"You won't help me?"

Pete shook his head. "They're good people, and whatever you're planning to do, count me out."

Kim stared at him, as he turned and walked back to his car. Pete felt terrible for what he had told Max the other day, and he wanted to make amends with the Lacos'.

77777777777777

"Hmm, right there. Harder, ah, bliss," Max moaned as Kenny massaged her shoulders.

Kenny eyed the faint curve beginning to show in her stomach, as he touched her. He stroked her hair, and pulled her onto his lap. He couldn't get her words from a few days ago out of his mind, and he knew that she was worried about the case and herself. Kenny decided that he would do anything to make her see she wasn't anything like Gina, and that she wasn't capable of behaving like that. He laid his hand on her stomach, and leaned in to kiss her as the doorbell rang.

"Peace and quiet, right," Max asked, as she sat up a bit.

"Never," Kenny said kissing her quickly. "We're just so popular around here."

"Let's ignore it," Max suggested, as they detangled themselves from each other. "It's probably a Jehovah's Witness."

The bell rang again, and Max pulled her shirt back down. Straightening out her fleece pants, she wrapped her arms back around her husband's waist as he stood.

"Max," he said seeing the mischievous light in her eyes, as the bell rang for a third time. "I don't think that they're going to leave."

"We've got to start closing the garage," Max replied grinning and stepping back. "Go on. I can wait."

Kenny eyed his wife, and wanted to toss her across the couch. Instead, he threw open the kitchen door and wished that he hadn't.

"You again," he asked Pete Hunter. "Didn't I tell you to get lost?"

"Yeah," Pete said seeing the look in his eye. "I just want to… can I just talk to you guys for a few minutes?"

"Why?"
"I just want to explain," Pete replied quickly knowing he was getting no where. "Please? I wouldn't have come here if I wasn't being legit."

Kenny eyed the man warily for a second, and he heard Max come up behind him. Glancing back at her, she saw that he was pissed and doing his best not to slug Pete. Laying her hand on his arm, she gave Pete a once over.

"I just want to explain," Pete repeated to her. "I don't want to hurt anybody."

"Explain what?" Max asked.

"What you both already know," Pete replied his nerves shot. "And apologize for it. I don't know how it happened, but it all sort of spun out of control."

Max and Kenny exchanged a look, and Kenny shrugged. Max sighed, and beckoned him inside. Shutting the door behind him, he saw the doubtful expressions on both of their faces, and he knew that he would have a lot of work to convince them of his intentions.

"I'd have preferred a Jehovah's Witness," Kenny said, as Max tried not to smile before he turned to Pete. "Talk."

Pete could see why they had made a formidable team by watching them at that moment, and he knew that he had no chance with Max at that point. Kenny had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she leaned casually against him.

"Okay," he said. "You're right. Max, I have a huge crush on you. You're beautiful, intelligent, kind… you're the type of woman I want to be with. Kimberly came to me awhile ago because she knew how I felt. She wants to be with you Kenny, I don't know if it's some school girl crush gone crazy or something else. She thought that if we worked together, we could both get what we want."

Pete took a deep breath, and waited for a response from one of them. After getting nothing but cold stares he continued nervously. "The other day, when I told you about my parents Max… they're still together… Kim told me a lot about you two, and we thought it could be used to our advantage. I'm an ass for doing it, and I can't apologize enough."

"You are an ass," Max agreed, feeling sorry for him and pissed at Kim.

"Why are you telling us this now?" Kenny asked suspiciously.

Pete shook his head, "I don't want to break up a marriage where the two people are obviously happy and meant to be together. Kim, I'm not to sure about. I think she needs therapy or something because she's a little obsessive about this. Anything I can do to make this up to you guys… please let me know. Max, if you want a new partner I'll understand."

Max saw Pete's honest emotions on his face, and she knew that he felt terrible about all of this. Looking up at Kenny, she knew that he wasn't as convinced as she was about it. She knew how protective he could be, and the last thing that Max wanted was for him to blow up at Pete.

"Okay," Max said finally. "Pete thanks for telling us the truth. I don't know what to do about Kim though. She's Jimmy and Jill's daughter."

"Yeah," Pete agreed, still feeling Kenny's icy stare. "I'll go now… thanks for listening to me."

"You believe him," Kenny said, as Pete drove off.

Max nodded. "He didn't have to come here, and tell us all of that. Did you see his face? I don't think Pete could have faked that."

"Probably not," Kenny conceded. "What now?"
"They'll never believe us about Kim," Max said quietly. "She's their daughter, and I can't believe that she would do something like this."

Kenny shook his head. "Me either… it was four years ago. Why now?"

7777777777777777

"Initial tests show that Jen Davis' blood type matches the sample from the scene," Carter said. "So there is a strong possibility that she was there."
"Trial starts in a few weeks," Jimmy replied. "How long before you know for sure?"
"The lab will let me know in two, if I put a rush on it," Carter nodded. "But it might be enough to make her confess."

"That woman has the blood of a reptile," Jimmy replied dryly. "I want her cold Carter. I know she had a part in this."

"How big of one?"

Jimmy thought to what Max had said the other day before responding slowly, "I'm not sure, but this woman was her therapist and the person who helped her build a life again. She has to have some sort of sway here."

"But she's not talking," Carter finished.

"Not yet," Jimmy said, waving Kenny in. "Have a seat. Where's the wife?"

"On patrol," Kenny replied. "What's going on?"

"We went through the rest of the tapes, and the murder isn't there," Jimmy informed him. "But the blood tests should be back soon."

"So we're stuck again," Kenny asked, wanting this whole thing to be over. He knew it was eating Max up on the inside, and it hurt him to watch that. "She admitted to murdering both of them Jimmy, isn't that enough? We have a motive and physical evidence. This woman, or man, whatever is nuts. She's either going to jail or a mental hospital. Wambaugh can't stop that."

"I don't like the idea of a counselor who might have convinced her patient to murder someone," Jimmy replied calmly. "Who knows who else she might do that too, or has done. Jen Davis works with abused women who want their lives back. Is there a better way then killing the person who hurt you to begin with?"

"So let's drag her back down here, and get it out of her," Kenny replied. "The blood types match, and she has a motive. We've got her Jimmy. She had Gina kill Kurt, so that they could be together. It doesn't get much simpler then that."

"I don't want this one to get away," Jimmy replied thoughtfully. "And we're doing it by the book. We've got a tail on Dr. Davis, so she's not going anywhere. Carter, I want you to look at the body again, see if there is any physical evidence on it linking it to her."

Carter nodded, excited. "I'll get right on it."

Jimmy watched him leave before turning back to Kenny. He had noted both Kenny and Max's nerves around him lately, and Jimmy didn't like not knowing what was going on between them. Ever since Max had almost miscarried, they had both had avoided him unless they had to speak to him.

"What's going on here?" Jimmy asked finally. "No secrets, Kenny, I've told you that before."

"What do you mean?" Kenny asked, knowing he was referring to his and Max's relationship with him of late. "I don't have any secrets."

"Would you rather I ask Max?" Jimmy replied. "I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it. When my deputies go out of their way not to speak to me, I want to know why. The lack of respect from you two lately is intolerable."

"It's not disrespect," Kenny replied lamely. "Jimmy, it's just some personal stuff. Nothing really."

"You both told me that you would keep all personal issues out of here," Jimmy replied. "If it effects your work, it stays home."

"We know that," Kenny said, wanting to tell him about it all. "It's just that… Hell, with everything that has been going on lately, Max almost losing the baby, this case is causing her a headache. She thinks this could be her, and when she said that, it scared the shit out of me. We've both got a lot on our plates right now, and if we've been disrespectful, sorry. It's not intentional."

"That's it?" Jimmy said doubtfully, knowing that he wasn't getting the full story from Kenny.

"Yup," Kenny replied, knowing how Jimmy would react if he had told him what really happened that night. "Talk to Max if you want, we're not hiding anything from you."

"I'll do that."

77777777777777

Jen Davis paced around her clinic, and she knew that if her blood type matched the one that was found at the crime scene, she was going to spend the rest of her life in jail. Fingering the video she found buried in the Campbell's basement, she was grateful to Gina for burying it down there, even more hidden then the other ones. Tossing it into the fire, she watched the flames lick the plastic casing, and she knew that Gina would never implicate her.

Glancing at the squad car that had been following her for days, she knew that she couldn't slip out of town. Picking up Gina's case file, she glanced through it again, recounting Gina's childhood troubles, through her father's murder, her sex change to hide it all, and her marriage to her brother, and Jen shook her head. No one would believe a crazed lunatic like that, Jen tried to convince herself. Tossing the folder on her desk, Jen vowed that she wouldn't go to prison, she wouldn't let her love take her down that easily.

77777777777777

"I just don't feel comfortable around him," Max told Kenny later that night. "I mean, what exactly should I say to him? Your daughter is stalking my husband?"

"That wouldn't go over to well," Kenny replied seeing her frazzled nerves. "It'll blow over with him. He worries about you… not as much as me though."
"Are you worried about me?" Max asked slowly meeting his eyes. "Kenny, I'm fine, really."
"Fine? A few nights ago she said that Gina could be you, and it was the luck of the draw that you're not the one in prison for this. That doesn't sound fine to me Max," Kenny said, laying his hands on her shoulders. "I know your emotions are running all over the place, being pregnant and all. I've barely slept since you said that."

"We just have a lot in common," Max said slowly. "Therapists, family problems, being raped… I didn't mean for you to freak out over it."

"You also have a lot of differences. You're strong, capable, you know the difference between right and wrong, and you have me, and I would never hurt you the way Gina's family hurt her," Kenny said softly. "I love you."
"I love you too," Max whispered, willing herself not to cry before blurting out. "I want to go see my father."

"Why?"

Max shook her head. "This whole thing with Gina… my family isn't as screwed up as them, but I just want to make amends I guess. I don't want to resent him forever, and I don't want him to have this hold over me forever. I feel like I always have to prove myself to him, I don't like that."

"Max, he couldn't be bothered to come to our wedding," Kenny argued. "You don't owe him anything. If he doesn't want to know you, it's his loss. Not yours."

Max smiled sadly at him. "I know. I know. I just want to have some relationship with him… There are much worse families out there, and I think I owe it to myself, not him, to at least try. We're all adults… I don't know what lesson it'll teach our child for me not to talk to my father, their grandfather."

Kenny saw the raw determination in her eyes, and knew he was fighting a losing battle. He hated the idea though, and he knew how much it broke Max's heart not to have him at their wedding.

"You haven't seen him in years. Are you just planning on showing up on his doorstep?" Kenny asked.

"Sometimes surprise is the best tactic," Max replied thoughtfully. "But I don't want to start off by making him angry. I do that enough as it is."

"Okay then," Kenny conceded. "We'll go."

"We?" Max asked surprised.

"Yeah. You don't think that I'd let you do this alone? I want to meet the man who ties you up in knots," Kenny replied. "And tell him what an ass he is."

"As long as you don't hit him," Max said grinning. "I personally enjoy it when you tie me up in knots."

77777777777777

"Let's talk deal," Wambaugh bellowed to Jimmy and Georgia the next day in his office. "Manslaughter, five years in prison."

"Not a chance," Jimmy replied. "You clients killed a man Doug, and we have physical evidence and a damn strong motive."

"A motive you uncovered after Maxine broke the confidentiality of a therapy group. I'll butcher her on the stand Jimmy, and get sympathy for my client," Wambaugh proclaimed. "I'll poke holes in your case… both of them will walk."

"Why are you trying to cut a deal then?" Georgia asked smoothly.

"Save the town some money of a costly trial," Wambaugh insisted. "I'll make Gina look an abused puppy, the jury will feel so much sympathy that they'll lock you up. Her story is a lawyer's pot of gold."

"No deal," Jimmy said rising. "Your client's story may be your pot of gold, but it'll sink her in court. Sympathy? Maybe. But no way is she going to walk."

Wambaugh watched them go, as he plotted out his strategy.

77777777777777

Jimmy and Jill listened as their daughter spilled out her story in silence.

"I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell you," Kim lamented to her parents. "I know that he's married, and I didn't want to be the other women in the relationship. I can't believe that I could have had an affair like that."

Jimmy couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he felt betrayed. Jill felt her heart break, both for her daughter and her friends. She knew it was going to be devastating for all the parties involved and she could see Jimmy trying to control his temper.

"You and Kenny have been having an affair," Jimmy said slowly, trying to make sense out of all of this, and seeing why his deputies had been distant of late. "How long has this been going on?"

"A few months, but I wanted to break it off when he told me Max was pregnant," Kim replied wide eyed. "But he didn't… then she almost lost the baby. I don't know what to do."
"She saw you two together," Jill replied, feeling numb, remembering Max's reaction to Kenny at the hospital and the tension between them. "Oh, god."

Jimmy shook his head in astonishment, and felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart. He had watched these two young people grow up over the last ten years, and he couldn't believe that Kenny would hurt Kim and Max that much. Jimmy thought of their talk in the office a few days ago, and Jimmy felt himself began to seethe. And Max had known, he thought, and couldn't believe that she would forgive him for something like that. Jimmy could see the hurt on his daughter's face, and wanted to have it out with his young deputy.

"I'm going out for awhile," he declared, meeting Jill's worried gaze. "Kim, it's going to be alright."

Kimberly watched her father depart, and she smiled to herself.

77777777777777

"How about Joshua? For a boy," Max asked. "Josh Lacos?"
"I like it. Or Nick, that was my grandfather's name," Kenny responded. "How about a girl?"
"I like Sarah or Skye."

"Like the sky is blue," Kenny teased her, as she tossed a pillow at him. "Girl, huh? Emily? Or Cassie."

"Hmm," she replied, as he placed his hand on her small bump. Somewhat worried because she was over four months pregnant and not really showing yet Max decided to bring it up at her next OB visit in a few days. "Not bad choices either."

"We've got time," Kenny said, still amazed that there was a baby in that growing curve on her stomach. She laid her hand on top of his, as a thunderous knock came at the door.

"Someone doesn't sound happy," Max said dryly. "We didn't piss anyone off lately… did we?"

"Who knows?" he quipped as Max yanked the door open. Jimmy glared at her for a second, and Max gulped at the fire in his eyes.

Swallowing the need to retreat and not wanting to make everything worse she said carefully. "Jimmy, hi. I didn't know you were coming by."

"Spur of the moment," he spat eyeing her growing stomach. Jimmy wasn't sure what was going on between them, but he didn't want an innocent baby to get hurt in the process, "I need to speak with your husband."

"Okay," Max replied slowly, and taking a step back so he could come in. She could feel Jimmy's anger coming off of him, and faint ripples of apprehension ran through her. Jimmy stalked out into the living room, and Max reluctantly followed him, not really wanting to see what was going to happen next, but unable to resist it.

"You bastard," Jimmy hissed to Kenny. "How could you do it?"
"Do what?" Kenny asked, feeling the same dread as his wife.

Jimmy threw his hands up in the air in disgust. "Do what? How can you even ask me that? I had the most enlightening talk with my daughter today. Do you want to know what she said, or do you already know?"

Kenny met his wife's eyes, and felt like someone had just kicked him in the groin. He didn't know what Kim had told him, but he was sure that it wasn't the truth. The venom in Jimmy's chilled him, and in all the years that they had worked together, he had never heard Jimmy yell like that.

"You've been having an affair with my daughter," Jimmy continued in his silence. "My daughter! While your wife is pregnant! Do you know how badly Kim feels about all this? How could you take advantage of a young girl like that?"

"I didn't," Kenny said quietly, hating this situation. "Would you listen to me?"

"What is there to say?" Jimmy shot back, before turning to Max. "And you knew! You walked in one night and saw them together! Then almost had a miscarriage! Why didn't you say something, instead of protecting him?"
Max shook her head. "It wasn't like that. Take a deep breath, okay?"

She moved cautiously to her husband's side, not wanting to rock the boat anymore. Max couldn't believe Kim would tell her parents that, but as she had said before, this is Rome. Watching Jimmy trying to control his emotions, Max wondered if she would love her child with the same passion that Jimmy felt right now for his daughter.

"Please," she ventured. "Just listen. Please."

Jimmy glared at them for a second longer before nodding reluctantly. Studying the way that Kenny had his arm wrapped around Max's waist and was holding her close to his side made Jimmy pause in his fight for a moment. They look happy, he thought, not like two people caught up in a love triangle.

"Talk," he ordered.

"Kim came by one night while Max was still at work and we started to talk about her school and stuff. Then she asked why we didn't pursue our relationship, and I told her it was one of those things that just wasn't meant to be," Kenny said carefully, seeing that Jimmy's anger was still boiling under the surface. "Then she just jumped on top of me. I pushed her off, but not before Max walked in. The whole thing shouldn't of happened, and it wasn't an affair. I wouldn't cheat on my wife, much less with your daughter."

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" Jimmy said lowly.

"She's your daughter," Kenny repeated. "How could I tell you that? You wouldn't have believed it, and I doubt you do now."

"You believe him?" Jimmy asked Max, not looking at her.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I know him Jimmy, and you do too. Kenny is loyal, sometimes to a fault, but he would never intentionally hurt anybody like that. Especially people he cares about, me, you, Jill… and Kimberly."

Jimmy lowered his head to his hands, and didn't know what to think. His mind was spinning and deep down he couldn't believe that his daughter would make something like this up. Then, looking at Max and Kenny, he'd known them for to many years to know when they were being straight with him. Unlike his conversation with Kenny a few days ago, Jimmy could tell they were both being honest with his right now.

"I need time to think," Jimmy said finally. "Does anyone else know about this?"

He caught the quick glance between them before Max replied, "Yeah. Pete."

"Pete Hunter? Why?" Jimmy asked shocked.

"He's got a crush on Max," Kenny said neutrally. "And Kim knew that, and they both figured they could get what they wanted."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. He admitted it to us, go ask him," Max said.

"I'll do that," Jimmy said rising, feeling the first sprinkling of doubt about his daughter's story. "I'll be back in a few hours. I'll assume that you'll both be here?"

They nodded, and Jimmy stormed back to his Explorer.